Be Enlightened, Be Empowered, Be EMMboldened

Queen Elsie

“Peeeerfect!” Elsie calmly exclaimed to herself while she twirled in front of her large mirror, admiring the difference effort made in her appearance. Rocket by Beyoncé played softly in the background, the room was dark and only a few rays of light managed to penetrate the Brown and gold curtains. There was a soft knock at the door. Elsie eyed herself top to bottom then gave herself a reassuring look. “You are ready.” She walked to the door a few metres away and drew a deep breath before opening it. The man at the door stood firm as if planted like a tree. His face showed a passionate determination for the intention of his visit. It made sense how he immediately furrowed his thick eyebrows and curled his large lips in curiosity. He stepped forward to give Elsie an awkward hug, running his hands along her frame just for good measure. “So where is everybody? I thought you invited me to a party.” He said while he drew away from her. “They all cancelled. It’s just you and me!” She said grinning, aware that he knew she was lying. She took his hand leading him to her sofa. Puzzled, he followed her, unable to keep his eyes off her; She didn’t mind that was her intention after all.

In a low seductive voice, she looked down at him, settling into the sofa. “Are you thirsty?” He stared at her frame, taking every inch of her in, caressing her curves with his eyes, examining her gentle silhouette with his mind. He couldn’t tell if he was being seduced or being trapped; but he knew that he no longer had much power in this situation.

“What?” He exclaimed; a little offended. She brushed it off with a timid giggle. “I mean, do you want anything to drink? Silly!” He shook his head slowly while she took her seat right next to him on the couch.

“I gotta make a confession. I’m proud of all this bass when you ……” She moved a little closer to him as Beyoncé put her in an even fierier mood. She could hear him breathing heavily and his heart racing. Elsie’s was working. She smiled and turned to him; instinctively moving closer still. She placed her hand gently over his thigh. In her best version of a soft seductive voice, Elsie began to engage him in visibly unnecessary small talk. Running her fingers softly across his bearded face as he spoke. The little tremors in his deep voice run up and down her spine and straight to ignite her loins. His beard so perfectly outlined his face, giving him an aura of authority and power; it left her powerless sailing helplessly in his voice as it carried her to a place she knew was not hers to hold.

Her weakness bred nostalgia; back to the brief time before she found out the truth. The chemistry they had shared was electric, almost explosive. Every day she found out something new about him she liked, something she had been looking for in a man for years. That was, of course, until the truth has reared its ugly head, and in public, no less. There was an altercation and a wig had been taken in the cross fire and even though it wasn’t her wig and the other girl had looked a lot worse, she felt low and ashamed by the lengths she had been forced to stoop to. Granted the other girl threw the first punch and Elsie had no knowledge of her before this, she still felt horrid to the core for beating up another woman and for a man no less. A man she had just met, a man who had lied for six months.

“How is she?” She cut him off sharply mid-sentence.

“Who?”

“You know! Katherine.” She began to look away and move away from him as well. Maybe a reflection of what she felt deep inside; drawn to this man so much until she was reminded he belonged to another.

“You mean, Catie” He corrected her, ignoring her obvious discomfort, “She is…. She’s well, I guess. What do you want me to say?”

“Say that she’s dead, maybe?? I don’t f*cking know. I don’t think I even care.” Elsie turned to face him now, keenly judging his expression. He was speechless. She wanted him to break down and vehemently profess his love for her. She wanted him to cry and ask the higher powers why he met Katherine before he met her but he just sat there. His face showing nothing but guilt. The guilt of man who clearly had no idea what he wanted for himself and the future; one who had dragged Elsie, Kathrine and whoever else into his confusion for nothing else but in an attempt to make himself feel better about his grave insecurity and lack of self-esteem. That’s why he couldn’t be faithful to his pregnant fiancée, that is why he had to lie to get her interested in the first place and keep her there. Sitting there, looking at the guilt in his hazel eyes and his furrowed brow like that of a dog that had just did the dirty behind the couch, she felt immense sympathy for him, even more for Katherine. That poor naïve girl, she was probably somewhere fending off valid advances from men who understood themselves enough to allow her to simply exist and be loved, men who probably valued fidelity more than money and cheap promises. This man before her, ‘her man’ was a mess and in the confusion and chaos that was his life, Elsie was the only stable thing, the rock per se. She had it all figured out; her happiness that is. Elsie was content with who she was even when no one was around; clearly he wasn’t. He made up versions of himself to fit in and always found himself lying to everybody. The façade he had once put up that had drawn Elsie so painstakingly close to him, now crumbled into dust. And even though to society he seemed far ahead in life, almost married at the right age no less, first child on the way too; Elsie had already won the race even without a man or any prospects of love and marriage thereof. Most especially, without this mess of a man! Elsie would be anything but a Katherine; sitting at home reproducing while your partner paid no regard to your feelings, sanity or reputation. Oh how miserable. But Elsie, she was the real deal, a catch by any definition. And even though, she had fallen fast and hard for this man, Elsie was not a side piece, she was the Feature Presentation, the main attraction and the full meal.

“Follow me.” She said suddenly, leading him to her room.

***

He rolled over, panting. Elsie sat up, reached towards the night stand and pulled out a cigarette as he caught his breath. Elsie sat quietly for two minutes, smoking, eyes fixed on a painting stark in the middle of the wall in front of her. What they had just done, in Elsie’s opinion, was nothing to write home about. She could still hear him breathing heavily on her thigh. She hadn’t even broken a sweat, she just sat there, newly assured that this man, his pregnant fiancée and their impending offspring were nothing to fight for, not even worth shouting for. They would only make her life miserable like theirs. He raised his head to say something. Elsie didn’t hear him; all she could hear was an irritating shrillness in his voice. Suddenly, she wasn’t interested in looking at his face anymore. In fact, she wasn’t interested in having his company any more. As what she could only describe as the hormones in her brain regulated and her heart began to beat at a regular pace, she had an epiphany; one that even she knew she should have seen from the beginning. Suddenly, as if he had flipped on a switch, she knew what to do; pick up her crown and banish the wicked, like the Queen she was.

“You feel pretty great about yourself, don’t you?” She asked condescendingly. His naivety did not grasp it.

“Well as a matter of fact I do. I just put in some serious work. I think I broke some sort of record.”

“I wouldn’t say you broke a record but you have definitely hit a new mile stone.” He smiled at himself,

“What milestone could this be?” He said smiling stupidly, leaning in to kiss her. She turned away and gave him a cheek.

“That is the last time you will be afforded such privileges. “

“What??”

“Yeah! You don’t deserve this. You don’t deserve me. I don’t know this Kathy lady but you don’t deserve her either.”

“What do you mean, Babe? And it’s Catie, by the way.”

“I don’t care if her name is Katrina or Kate Winslet. You don’t deserve my love, you conniving piece of crap. You go around lying to women because you are not man enough to handle the shortcomings of your own character. You have them thinking it’s their fault you’re a cold distant asshole incapable of keeping it in his pants.” She looked at him right in his hazel eyes now, they had no effect on her whatsoever. “Oh? Now you are quiet? Because you know it’s true. You are literally nothing if not a bad boyfriend. You kept a secret for what? Six months. Here I was, building foundations with you and you were engaged to be married and planning to impregnate your poor poor fiancée. I say it twice, because it is really that sad.” She stood up. “You are a really sorry excuse for a man and I’m so happy she had you first.”

He sat on the bed now, facing away from her. He vividly couldn’t handle what Elsie was saying. He must have not been used to it. He was indeed a sorry excuse for a man; insecure and unfaithful he didn’t deserve two great women let alone just one.

“Get out.”

He turned to look at her. He was silent.

“I said Get the F*ck out!”

THE END

Disclaimer: The characters and events depicted in this short story published on EmmBoldened.com are fictitious. Any similarities with actual people and events are PURELY COINCIDENTAL. However, the author of this piece would like to insist that if indeed the shoe fits, then you better lace that shit up and wear it.